


Magnolia

by SongstressTinyTeacup



Category: Hadestown - Mitchell
Genre: F/M, Hades and Persephone love each other so much, a modern au, and some chapters may be a little short, and would do anything to make the other happy, be warned this will get angsty, concerned Hades, implied depression, tags to be updated as time goes on
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-04
Updated: 2020-02-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:08:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22562983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SongstressTinyTeacup/pseuds/SongstressTinyTeacup
Relationships: Hades/Persephone (Hadestown)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 30





	1. Chapter 1

If someone had asked Hades two years ago what he thought his life would look like now, he’d never have told them this.

He’d never have thought he’d be a father, never thought Persephone would be a mother. 

His eyes glanced to a framed picture on the mantle of the fireplace as he reflected, it’s contents a photo of their little family.

Persephone was wearing her favorite green dress, beaming brightly but not at the camera. Persephone’s smile was directed at the toddler in her arms, laughing and smiling.

Hades stood next to Persephone in the picture, one arm slung loosely around her shoulders and the other hand poised to tickle the toddler to produce another squeal of laughter.

Of course, Hades never thought their child would be a daughter, though secretly that was what he’d wanted from the start. 

  
There had been a bet with Demeter early on as to the gender, and Hades had already consigned himself to the probability that they’d end up with a boy.

After all, how often did he get his hopes up?

The apartment they lived in was bright and airy, with a gorgeous view of a park. To him, it was the perfect place to raise their daughter, but Persephone had been less convinced.

_“Cities can be dangerous, Hades.”_

Persephone’s words bounced around in his mind, but Hades had argued that cities weren’t dangerous once one knew how to maneuver them, and that he wanted to raise their family close to art, and museums and culture.

He had wanted to raise his family in a place that had the best healthcare money could buy, the best hospitals and doctors to attend to his wife and children.

Even so, Persephone had continued to plead for a country home, somewhere with clean air and not so much light at night. 

She’d begged him to give their children a place where they could see the stars at night, where they could run around at dusk and chase fireflies, where they could start a flower garden to teach their children responsibility.

The compromise had come in the form of this apartment building, close enough to the main part of the city that they could still access all of the amenities Hades desired for his wife and children, but Persephone had been swayed by the spacious park across the street with a large community garden they could purchase large plots of land to fill with plants and flowers.

They had signed the lease right then, and before either person knew what had hit them, they were unpacked and moved in.

Hades had prepared a bountiful feast to celebrate, steaks and creamy mashed potatoes, fresh garden vegetables from the woman who ran the community garden, the finest vintage Hermes had in his collection.

They’d feasted, curled up into each other on the couch and watching a movie, though Hades and Persephone weren’t paying much attention to it at all.

“Are you sure you want to start trying for a baby now?” Persephone murmured, taking a sip of her wine and glancing up at her husband.

Hades chuckled, brushing a curl from her forehead.

“Don’t tell me you’re having second thoughts.” He teased, making her roll her eyes and swat at him with her free hand.

“Absolutely not. I just wanted to make sure you wouldn’t freak out about it, I know Mama threatened you within an inch of your life after we eloped.” Persephone snorted, snickering to herself at the massive scolding they’d been given.

Demeter had sat them both down in her kitchen like they were kids, descending upon both of them with the wrath of one thousand miniature suns.

She’d screamed at Hades mostly, accusing him of corrupting her daughter and threatening to cut certain appendages away if he’d gotten her pregnant before they eloped.

Persephone had been quick to assure her mother that it had all been very tidy, she wasn’t pregnant when they’d eloped and hadn’t been during the scolding, but left out mentioning that she and Hades had slept together before even entertaining the idea of a relationship, much less a marriage.

“I think the best revenge I could have for that is to give her a grandchild, wouldn’t you agree?” Hades’ low voice had rumbled against her ear.

Persephone then sat down her wine glass and cleared their plates from their laps onto the coffee table, then turned to Hades and curled her fingers around his tie.

“I want to see the look on her face when you drive me to her house for Christmas, when you help me out of the car and she sees just how big and pregnant you’ve made me with your child. Promise me that you’ll do that for me.” Persephone purred, bringing him closer and watching his eyes go dark with desire at her idea.

He didn’t answer her verbally, instead attacking her with kisses right where they were, and then hands were flying and ripping clothing apart to gain faster access.

When they’d finished for the night, this time in their bed, Hades took a moment to hope that something would take, that Persephone would soon be pregnant and they’d start planning for their baby.

Then, the two drifted to sleep curled into each other.


	2. Chapter 2

It wasn’t long after they started trying for a baby that Persephone got pregnant, And it wasn’t long after that that Persephone lost the baby.

The despair Hades felt to find Persephone curled up in the floor of the shower and weeping for the baby they’d lost, how it cut her so _deeply_ that she had spent weeks wrapped up in her own grief, not leaving the apartment, not showering.

She would eat only when Hades or Eurydice would force her, she just couldn’t stomach the idea of food.

At nights, Persephone would descend upon Hades with the pent up sadness and need for a baby that led to them sleeping together, even when Hades tried his hardest to avoid it.

“It ain’t _healthy_ , Seph. It ain’t right.” He’d told her, trying to keep her from continuing her assault of his work shirt, but Persephone had threatened him, and then manipulated him until she got her way.

This cycle repeated twice more until Hades finally hauled Persephone out of her depression spiral and into the nearest fertility clinic, hoping to convince her that the problem was him.

It wasn’t.

The call came back a week later, Persephone was incapable of carrying children.

Hades had been there to catch her as she crumpled helplessly into his arms and cried herself to sleep, Hades had been the one who decided he would research other avenues of giving Persephone the baby she so desperately wanted.

But Persephone didn’t want any of his suggestions.

She didn’t want a surrogate, and pointedly told him about the massive number of people on waiting lists to adopt infants.

Persephone wanted a baby that was hers and Hades alone, no other participants. She had wanted to go through the morning sickness, the fatigue, the cravings. Persephone had wanted to feel their baby as it moved around inside of her in the later stages, wanted the sleepless nights caused by a restless baby.

Persephone wanted to go through the pain of childbirth, to be rewarded for the pain and exhaustion by a squalling and angry baby that would have been placed on her chest.

But Persephone couldn’t have any of those things, not anymore.

So Hades stood by and watched as Eurydice covertly took over certain things at the shop.

He hadn’t thought anything of it at first, when the customer walked in and Eurydice raced to them before they could ring the service bell.

Then Eurydice lowered her voice as she asked them what the occasion for the flowers was. If the response was for a wedding, anniversary, or other mundane things, she passed them on to Persephone, but if it were anything to do with children, Eurydice quietly consulted with them outside on the little covered patio.

Hades was almost touched, seeing how much effort his wife’s assistant made to keep Persephone working on only the happier arrangements. Eurydice’s discretions was flawless, and the order was always created, stored, and delivered without Persephone ever catching wind of it.

It took about a year, but around the holidays the next year Persephone was back to her cheerful, happy self.

She smiled at Hades when he swept into her shop to escort her home on his arm, she laughed at his verbal sparring with Hades, grinned at her young nephew Orpheus who came to court Eurydice.

They spent nights wound up in each other, reading or discussing this topic or other until Persephone would inevitably burrow down close to Hades, and fall asleep.

They rarely fought, bickered mostly and it was usually friendly, but one massive argument stood out in Hades’ mind as he reflected on his wife.

They’d been laying in bed, Christmas only a week away and soft candlelight casting a gentle glow over the bedroom.

Persephone was laying against Hades’ chest, trailing her nails up his arms just delicately enough to make him shiver and grumble when he asked her how preparations for Christmas at the shop were going.

“We’re slammed. Poinsettias are flying off the shelves faster than I can order the damn things.” Persephone groaned, eliciting a low and rumbling laugh from her husband.

“My poor little flower, don’t fret. The shop is closed four days before Christmas and the day after. What does Eurydice have planned?” Hades inquired, pressing a soft kiss to the crown of Persephone’s head.

Persephone didn’t answer immediately, rolling over onto her stomach and trailing her fingers up his chest as she grinned.

“You’ll never guess.” She teased, making her husband arch his eyebrow at her.

“Eurydice is spending this Christmas with Hermes and Orpheus. Mark my words, lover, they’ll be engaged before New Year’s Eve.” She smirked, watching Hades’ expression of good natured sarcasm morph into one of bewilderment.

“Seph,” Hades muttered, “They just started dating a year ago. That’s far too soon for the boy to propose! Certain things have to be done proper, can’t just stammer out a proposal and call it done. Proposing takes time.”

“Look who’s talkin. You proposed to me after our second date, made me that engagement ring from a blade of grass and swept me off to Vegas that evening. D’ya call that a proper proposal?” Persephone added, gently prodding Hades’ cheek with one long, manicured fingernail, watching his cheeks go pink.

Hades tried to stammer out how different that situation was, but when faced with Persephone’s recollection, he couldn’t.

It wasn’t any different.

Hades knew on the first date that Persephone was perfect for him, and had booked two first class flights to Las Vegas for their second date. They hadn’t eaten a bite of their picnic before Persephone pulled him on top of her, not had they lay there long before he asked her to come home with him.

_“Come home with me?” Hades inquired as they looked up at the clouds, eliciting a sweet sound of laughter from Persephone’s lips._

_“Mama would kill me, Hades. She’s met you one time and has no idea that we’ve been intimate. I can’t just go to a man’s home before I’m wed to him, it’d kill her.” Persephone giggled, batting her eyes at Hades._

_Those eyes, amber in color and as beautiful a sight as Hades had ever seen._

_“Then marry me. Tonight.”_

That had been that, they jetted to Vegas and had one of their legendary wedding ceremonies.

Both so young, and blissfully unaware of the troubles that they’d be facing now. All that mattered to them was that they loved each other, everything else would fall into place.

“Suppose you’re right. What else is your little songbird doing for her holiday?” Hades agreed, lacing his fingers through Persephone’s.

“She’s going back to that children’s home of hers, apparently she’s been savin’ up money from her checks to buy a toy for all the kids there for Christmas. I put in a considerable amount too, since we don’t exactly need all the money I make at the flower shop.” Persephone continued, then her eyes lit up.

“She asked me to go with her when she brings all the toys in. I’m so excited for it, Hades. To see those poor little souls be so happy for one day.” 

Hades’ mouth went dry as sand, his stomach clenched as he thought of what seeing those children could do to Persephone.

It would just be a reminder of what they’d never have. It would kill her.

“Lover,” Hades licked his lips, “Do you think it’s wise, to go with Eurydice?” 

Persephone narrowed her eyes.

“Why wouldn’t it be?” Her voice went lower, every fiber of it screamed danger, but Hades couldn’t just leave it at that.

“I just don’t want you to get hurt, Seph. Seeing those children waiting for families and knowing that we can’t start one of our own. It’s been a hard year for you.” Hades tried to choose his words carefully, but they still set Persephone off.

“I’m _fine!_ And whether you like it or not, I’m going with Eurydice to the children’s home.” She hissed, throwing the comforter off of her body and flinging herself out of bed.

“Where are you going?” Hades inquired, watching her snatch her pillow and then a throw blanket from the foot of the bed.

She froze, and glared at him.

“I’m sleeping on the couch. We’ll talk about _this_ in the morning.” 

And with that, she left Hades alone in their bed.    
  


Hades had no intentions of letting this matter rest until the morning, but waiting for Persephone to cool down enough for them to have a conversation and not a screaming match was going to take a while.

Then, before Hades could realize what was happening, he drifted off to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is primarily to give some exposition and also to have some quality Orpheus and Hades bonding time. Fret not, we’ll resolve things with Persephone soon.

The morning after their fight, Hades woke up to an empty apartment, the pillow Persephone had taken from the bed the night before was tossed haphazardly onto her side of the bed, and the throw blanket folded neatly at the foot of the bed.

The closet door was open, Hades made a mental note as he yawned, rubbing away the sleep from his eyes with practiced fingers.

That meant that Persephone had left for work already, leaving Hades the entire day to fret over the harsh words she’d flung at him the night before.

Persephone had never been so angry with him before, and a pang of fear made his heart skip a singular beat. Could Persephone not love him anymore?

Could his concern for her have been enough to drive a wedge between them? Surely not.

Hades sat upright in bed, fingers curling around the sheets and crinkling them in his palm.

Sure, they’d fought before, exchanged some words, but they’d always made up long before either one of them considered going to bed for the night.

Panic washed through his veins, cold and icy as he flung back the covers and jumped out of bed, stalking quickly to the bathroom to grab his robe from the hook on the wall and slinging it around himself, not bothering to tie the sash securely in place as he might have done on a normal morning.

Instead of going through his morning routine, Hades raced into the living room to find it dark, and slumped onto the couch with his head in his hands.

“You’re such a _fool._ ” Hades muttered to himself, bracing his elbows on his knees but keeping his vision on the floor between his feet as the tears began to well up unbidden.

He and Persephone had agreed early on in their marriage to never go to bed angry with each other, and what had he gone and done?

Hades had let himself drift off to sleep without a single thought of going to make things right with his wife, to have a calm, rational conversation with Persephone.

A conversation where he’d explain his reservations about the children’s home visit, and listen, really listen to Persephone’s reasons for wanting to go.

A quick rap on the door made Hades’ head fly up, a groan stuck in his throat as he pried his pitiful state off of the couch and tread softly over to the door before checking the peephole.

Familiar untidy hair stuck beneath a knit hat told Hades the identity of his visitor, and without further pause he opened the door and turned around.

“Hello, Orpheus.” Hades murmured, not trusting his voice to hide the tears he’d almost shed, but if Orpheus noticed, he said nothing.

All the lanky young man did in response was shut and lock the apartment’s door before turning to face an unusually disheveled Hades.

“Good morning, Uncle Hades! I have something for you!” Orpheus smiled brightly, and thrust a disposable coffee cup into Hades’ hands.

Hades raised an eyebrow, looking at his nephew as the boy took off his hat and ran his hands through his hair in an unsuccessful attempt to tidy it up.

“Let me guess, black coffee, courtesy of your songbird?” Hades offered, a long standing joke between the two.

Orpheus laughed, the sound as light and musical as the person it came from.

“Uncle Hades, I would _never_ betray you like that! House roast, one cream, two sugars.” The young man feigned offense, a wide grin spreading across his features.

Hades popped the lid off of the cup and gave a quick examination to the contents, and just as Orpheus had said, it was lighter in color than the black coffee would have been.

“Eurydice doesn’t know.” Orpheus added after a moment, watching a genuine smile cross Hades’ face for the first time that morning.

“My reputation is saved. Come, sit with your uncle at the table. Have you eaten breakfast yet?” Hades teased, ushering the young man into the kitchen and nodding to the table nestled by a window.

Orpheus shook his head, shrugging off his coat and adjusting the sleeves of his sweater before sitting down in his usual place at the table.

“Good. How does an omelet sound?” Hades inquired, turning to the fridge and rummaging around for the ingredients, not bothering to wait for Orpheus’ response.

Hades knew that his nephew loved any egg dish for breakfast, and would never turn them down.

The kitchen was silent as Hades made their breakfast and Orpheus tapped his fingers on his knee, clearly waiting for Hades to finish and seat himself at the table before he attempted to talk.

Even so, when Hades had placed the omelet in front of him, and then sat down to his own, Orpheus cleared his throat to catch his uncle’s attention.

“I know that you and Aunt Persephone fought last night.” 

Hades’ jaw dropped, mouth slightly agape as he stared at his nephew.

_How had Orpheus found out?_

_Surely Persephone hadn’t told him, she knew that Orpheus didn’t cope well with anyone fighting, especially not people he loved._

“Persephone told Eurydice this morning as I walked them both to the flower shop. I wondered if I could help?” Orpheus clarified, using the side of his fork to cut off a bite of his meal.

Hades groaned, deep voice rumbling as he rubbed at his eyes a second time.

“I don’t know how you could, boy. Did she tell you that we didn’t resolve it last night?” Hades muttered, not bothering to look at his nephew.

“Yes. Uncle Hades, why don’t you want Aunt Persephone to go with Eurydice to the children’s home? Aren’t you proud of her for wanting to make their lives better, even if it’s just in a little way?” 

Hades’ eyes connected with Orpheus’, and Hades let out a sigh as he pushed his plate away from himself.

“Of course I’m proud of her, boy. I’m _always_ proud of her, how could I not be? But-“

Orpheus cut him off.

“But you’re afraid that visiting the children’s home is going to drag up all of those feelings that almost took her from us, when she finally found out she couldn’t have children.” The young man finished, watching his uncle carefully.

Hades swallowed hard, then nodded.

“I’ll only say this, Aunt Persephone went through a lot this past year, trying to deal with the pain and disappointment that comes with news like that, but she’s stronger for it now. She wouldn’t go to the children’s home if she didn’t think she could handle it.”

Hades glared at Orpheus, and saw him shrink back just a little, then let up.

“ _I never said she couldn’t handle it!_ ” He hissed, dropping his own fork with a clank onto his plate.

Orpheus flinched, and Hades muttered a soft apology under his breath.

“Aunt Persephone thinks that’s why you don’t want her to go. She believes that you think she can’t handle it.” 

Hades slumped back in his chair, hands coming to his lap to clench fingers to palms as he struggled to keep his temper in check.

Orpheus was incredibly gifted at seeing the things no one had said, but if it didn’t make Hades livid sometimes.

“Do you know how hard it was for me, this time last year, Orpheus? How hard it was for Persephone? She wouldn’t let me help her, and there was _nothing_ I could do! She let herself get so wrapped up in her grief that she just stopped drinking water, she went _days_ without a drop!” Hades’ voice boomed to it’s fullest volume as the memories flooded his brain.

_Persephone, taking longer than usual to start moving after standing up._

_Persephone’s skin taking longer to go back to normal after Hades had pinched her to get her attention._

_Persephone’s sudden lethargy._

“Do you know what it felt like to watch my wife stand up from the table, and then immediately lose consciousness? To be too far away to catch her before she hit her head on the corner of the damn chair as she fell? Do you understand how it felt for me to finally rouse her, and have her not strong enough to stand back up so I could take her to the emergency room? I had to carry her, Orpheus, and she couldn’t even keep her head lifted while I did!” Hades lowered his voice as tears threatened to well up and spill again at the memory of Persephone in his arms, awake, but limp and weak.

“No, Uncle Hades. I don’t know what it felt like, but I know how it felt when you called Mr. Hermes and told him, and how it felt when he told me.” Orpheus set his fork down, now finished with his breakfast, and scooted his chair a little closer to the table.

“Aunt Persephone needs you to support her in this. The visit might hurt, it might be too soon but the only person who can gauge that, is her. Talk to her, explain why you’re concerned. She’ll listen if you give her clear, honest reasons as to your concern.” 

Hades nodded, swallowing the lump that had been growing in his throat and then raising an eyebrow at Orpheus.

“Your aunt seems to think that you intend to propose to Eurydice soon. Is there any truth in that?” Hades inquired, watching as Orpheus’ eyes lit up at the mention of his girlfriend.

“I know you think it’s too soon, Uncle Hades, but I know that she’s the one I’m meant to marry, I just know it!” The young man grinned and started bouncing one leg in excitement.

Hades smiled, in spite of himself, and in spite of what he’d said to Persephone about that very matter last night.

“I believe that’s true, boy. You’re well matched. A poet and a songbird. Do you have a ring in mind?” 

Orpheus grinned again, reaching for his coat and rummaging through one of the deep inside pockets before pulling out a black velvet ring box.

When the poet opened it, he slid the box across the table for Hades to inspect.

Nestled securely in the middle of the box sat a delicate gold band, where a diamond-cut ruby proudly lay between an ornate gold setting.

“Do you like it, Uncle Hades? Do you think Eurydice will like it? I had it made special!” Orpheus inquired nervously, watching his uncle appraise the ring before the white-haired man looked at him.

“I dare say she will, but if she doesn’t, I’m happy to help you go and pick out another. Though of course, knowing your Eurydice, she’ll love this one.” Hades smiled.

Orpheus grinned, eyes lighting up as he tucked the box back into that inside pocket, then paused.

“What’s the matter now, son?” Hades sighed, feigning exasperation.

“Um, are you going to _finish_ that omelet?” Orpheus inquired sheepishly, leaving Hades to groan and shove the plate over to his constantly hungry nephew.

As soon as the plates were cleared and the kitchen clean, Orpheus went back into the fray of the city, leaving Hades to wait for Persephone to return.

He had to fix the mess he’d made.


End file.
